A major crisis may erupt today at the NNPC Satellite Depot, Ejigbo, Lagos following threats by a faction of tanker drivers union to stop the imposition of a caretaker committee at the Depot.
Investigations revealed that a faction of the union which claims to be the majority have perfected plans to stop the imposition of caretaker committee and have concluded plans to use all arsenals at their disposal to accomplish this.
To this end, according our investigation, they have armed themselves with dangerous weapons preparatory to engaging members of the caretaker committee if they step their feet into Ejigbo Depot.
Already, they have ignored all entreaties by their leaders to maintain peace insisting that one of their leaders betrayed them by signing peace accord with both the police, DSS and Zone 2 of the Nigerian Police, Onikan, Lagos and vowed to sanction those leaders.
One of the warring members of the group told reporters at Ejigbo where they were meeting to perfect plans to resist the imposition of caretaker committee that the police, DSS and Zone 2, police command, Onikan invited one of their former leaders over the week and forced him to sign an undertaking to maintain peace instead of addressing the main issue that is causing the problem at the Depot.
He told reporters: “We have two factions of our union. The national body tried to intervene without success. A caretaker committee was appointed and instead of spending three months and give way for election, they spent almost a year and this is the crux of our complaint.
“Now, the case of our national leadership is in court but the other faction ignored it and perfected plans for the caretaker committee to continue at Ejigbo. This cannot work and we will resist it with the last blood in our veins.
“They have been boasting that they will use money to suppress us but it cannot work. We are the majority. Our former leader that was cajoled to sign peace agreement under duress has been pleading that we should maintain peace but it cannot work. The only way to ensure the maintenance of peace at Ejigbo Depot is for election to be conducted. By so doing, credible officers will be duely elected by the majority and peace will return to Ejigbo Depot,” he stated.
Meanwhile, it was reliably learned that detectives from Lagos state police command, early last week, invited about eleven of the leaders of the faction at Ejigbo Depot for interrogation. Reports said that after meeting with the acting Commissioner of Police, DCP Ayilara, their leader was made to sign an undertaken to maintain peace at the Depot and after that, they were all taken to Zone 2, Onikan where they signed similar undertaken. Earlier, it was gathered that they also signed same undertaken at the office of the DSS in Sangisha.
The Lagos State Police Command’s Spokesman, SP Benjamin Hundeyin, told our correspondent that it’s a labour issues but warning that police would not tolerate them disturbing the public peace and peace of the state.
According to Hundeyin, police is on ground to discourage anything that would break down law and order in the state.
